Lakers told Lin to expect bigger role

How much playing time will Jeremy Lin get with the Los Angeles Lakers? Perhaps a lot.

The Lakers waived point guard Kendall Marshall on Friday. That leaves only 40-year-old, injury-prone former league MVP Steve Nash between the former Palo Alto High School star and a starting job.

Lin said that in his brief meeting last week with Lakers management he was told he would have more playing time than he got with the Houston Rockets last season. He started 33 games for Houston, averaging 29 minutes per game.

The Lakers, however, have not yet hired a head coach.

"I wish my role could become bigger and more important, and I also wish I could get more playing time next year," Lin told Agence France-Presse while in Taiwan.

The Lakers have scheduled a Friday news conference to introduce Lin, whom they acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets last week.

Lin will have to earn the respect of his new teammates, particularly Kobe Bryant. Both players have succeeded as ball-dominant guards.

Bryant is a demanding team leader who has been known to show displeasure with teammates who make mistakes. Lin plays with flash, making behind-the-back passes with a style that can lead to turnovers. He has been the type of point guard that makes things happen on drives to the basket. He ranked among the league's most accurate shooters last season when shooting off the dribble.

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To succeed with his new team, Lin might have to rely more on his improved jump shot and play more of a set-up role alongside Bryant. The soon-to-be 26-year-old point guard says he is looking forward to playing with the superstar.

"Kobe wants to win and I want to win. I think Kobe wants his teammates to train hard and I will train hard. I hope he can respect me and we can collaborate well together," Lin told reporters in Mandarin.

Bryant was impressed by Lin's rise with the New York Knicks in 2012 and has said he always admires people who work hard at their craft.

After Lin scored 38 on Bryant and the Lakers in New York's Madison Square Garden, Bryant said the Harvard grad's rise from D-League to the cover of Sports Illustrated was "a great story. It's a testament to perseverance and hard work. A good example for kids everywhere."

If the Lin-Bryant pairing doesn't work out, Lin's time with "Showtime" could be short. With a large, expiring contract he could be an attractive addition for teams prior to the February trade deadline.

Conversely, the last year of a contract also has a way of bringing out the best in a player.

Lin was relegated to a reserve role in Houston last season and averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds playing alongside another guard who likes to control the ball, the Rockets' James Harden. He averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 assists the previous season as the starter.

In other Lin news, a spoof of the Rush Hour movies on YouTube features Lin and Bryant in the roles of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. It got 51,000 views in its first day.

Lin remains on a promotional tour of Asia. Agence France-Presse reported that more than 200 fans showed up to greet him at the airport in Taipei, Taiwan.